New Year’s Eve fireworks display to celebrate Batavia’s birthday

To commemorate the city’s birthday, Batavia aldermen Monday approved a permit to allow for a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve near the Peg Bond Center on the Batavia Riverwalk.

“We are the first community in Kane County to celebrate that milestone,” Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke told aldermen.

The last time the city had fireworks on New Year’s Eve was to celebrate the arrival of the millennium in 2000.

Schielke said the idea would be to make the evening a family-friendly event, with activities beginning at 9 p.m.

“It will be a nice event to bring the kids to,” Schielke said.

Also as part of the event, the newly formed Batavia Community Band plans to perform a few songs at the Peg Bond Center, Schielke said. The band recently played at the city’s Celebration of Lights festival.

In other business, the winners of Batavia MainStreet’s banner contest were recognized.

Batavia MainStreet teamed up with Batavia High School graphics design students to create seasonal banners that will be placed on light poles in downtown Batavia.

Students designed up to three banners to be displayed in the downtown in the spring, summer and fall in the 2014-15 seasons.

Winners were chosen by a combination of Facebook likes and a judging committee.